LOCATION
The Machupicchu archaeological
complex is located in the department
of Cusco, in the Urubamba province
and district of Machupicchu. It is
perched on the eastern slopes of the
Vilcanota mountain range, a chain of
mountains curtailed by the Apurimac
and Urubamba Rivers. At latitude
13º7' South and longitude 72035'
West of the Greenwich Meridian,
Machupicchu is located at a height
of 2,350 meters above sea level
(main square).
CLIMATE AND
ENVIRONMENT
It is located in a subtropical zone,
or dense wood, the reason why the
climate is mild, warm and damp, with
an average year-round temperature of
130C during the day. One can
perceive two distinct seasons during
the year: the rainy season from
November to March, which is a time
of heavy rains. Visitors are advised
to dress accordingly during this
season. The dry season from April to
October brings on higher
temperatures.
More Information >>>
FLORA AND FAUNA
Both are abundant and
varied. Typical plant
life in the historic
reserve of Machupicchu
includes pisonayes,
q'eofias, alisos, puya
palm trees, ferns and
more than 90 species of
orchids.
The fauna
in the reserve includes
the spectacled bear,
cock-of-the-rocks or "tunqui",
tankas, wildcats and an
impressive variety of
butterflies and insects
unique in the region.
The lie
of the land, the natural
surroundings and the
strategic location of
Machupicchu lend this
monument a fusion of
beauty, harmony and
balance between the work
of the ancient Peruvians
and the whims of nature. |
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HISTORY
One cannot pinpoint the first to
populate these lands, as it was a
time of occupation rather than
foundations. Machupicchu was visited
by explorers well before Hiram
Bingham, although with little
success. These included Antonio
Raymondi, the Count of Sartiges and
Charles Wiener. Other visits
included one in July 1909 by the
Santander brothers, whose
inscription can be found carved into
the base of the Temple of the Sun.
At the same time, Peruvian explorers
Enrique Palma, Augustin Lizárraga
and Gavino Sánchez arrived at the
citadel by the route of San Miguel.
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The
railway line runs
parallel to the river in
winding loops that
follow the riverbed.
From here one can seethe
typical vegetation of
the upper jungle, which
climbs up to the top of
the steep mountain range
that forms the Urubamba
Canyon. The train passes
through the Chilca train
station from where one
can see the snowcapped
peak called "Veronica".
With a height of 5,750
meters above sea level,
it is the highest peak
in the Urubamba range.
The train stops at
Kilometer 88, where the
Inca Trail begins. |
The train
then continues on its
way, passing through the
station of Pampacahua
and the town of Aguas
Calientes, located at
Kilometer 110. When the
train line comes up
against a wall of
imposing granite
mountains, it then
plunges into two tunnels
before arriving at the
station of Puente Ruinas.
From here, minibuses
take the travelers up 8
kilometers of roads up
to the Tourist Hotel.
The entry control to the
Inca citadel is done
near the hotel.
The
citadel of Machu Picchu
has had several periods
of occupation. Taken
from the chronicles, the
construction style and
ceramics found is ...More
information >>> |
GUIDED TOURS
The guided tour of Machupicchu
starts on a path that leads from the
bus terminal. The path, built on
purpose for tourism, enters the
citadel in the section that houses a
cluster of rooms near the outer
wall. The path continues through a
terrace to gain access to the
agricultural zone before arriving at
the urban area.
Jump to :
Machupicchu & Cusco Guided tours
showroom
Full of magic, ancient culture and
the nicest people ever, Cusco is a
great city for your enjoyment, but
nothing is complete if you don’t
Visit Machu
Picchu, a Sanctuary
with one of the most and intriguing
constructions, architecture of the
ancient world.
The access to Machu Picchu is a
risky but grateful ride, it has his
up and downs, but you will not
regret it. For more information
check the
Getting to
Machu Picchu, this
link shows you what the choices of
your preference are.
There are a lot of places that you
can visit while you’re in the
Sanctuary, but there’s 3 or 4 places
that results outstanding for your
visit, for that matter you can check
the
Best of Machu
Picchu, where you can
see all the places and the main
attractions of the site.
If
you love be in touch with Mother
Nature and feel all around, you will
enjoy everything of the place, but
if you don’t like the rain and humid
weathers, you must check the
Best time to
go Machu Picchu,
where you can find the months that
are appropriate for your visit and
stay.
MACHU PICCHU TOURISM
All the
Machu Picchu pictures you'll find online can't and won't compare the
detailed labor that the
Incas had to put on, in
order to get this
amazing result. Not only
Machu Picchu but lot's
of archaeological sites
spread through Peru...More
Information >>>
ARCHITECTURE
The citadel
is divided into two
sectors: the
agricultural (terracing)
and the urban, where
there are main squares,
temples, palaces,
storehouses, workshops,
stairways, cables and
water fountains which
run through both
sectors, which measure
20 and 10 hectares
respectively.
It is
clear that the
architectural design was
based on Cusco, the
capital of the Inca
empire. Machupicchu was
built according to its
natural surroundings,
with its constructions
following the natural
curves and dips and
rises in the land. |
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The archaeological excavation that
took place after Bingham discovered
the ruins showed the land was
previously given granite foundations
with little surrounding soil.
The agricultural
and urban sectors are split by a dry
ditch, the result of a geographic
fault line.
The following
chapters describe the most important
constructions in each sector.
MACHU
PICCHU LEGACY OF THE ANCIENT
PERUVIANS
Italy has the Roman Coliseum, the UK has Stonehenge, Egypt has its
pyramids and the Great Wall of China has, but none of them has a stone city
built on the mountains, so mysterious and beautiful than many think it was not
made by humans . That city is located Machu Picchu and Peru...
More Information >>>
THE
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
The sector is surrounded by a series
of terraces of different types and
sizes which had two main functions:
to grow crops and halt the erosion
caused by the rains. The most
eye-catching terraces lie at the
entrance to the citadel. They begin
at the cluster of rooms located at
the entrance and climb up to the top
of the mountain until they stop at a
large rectangular room.It is clear
that the upper terraces at the
entrance were meant for agricultural
purposes as they have raised steps
and are much wider. The lower
terraces, meanwhile, have different
shapes because they were built as
foundations.
There are no canals as they were not
necessary, as the constant rains and
ever-present humidity allowed the
plants to grow without irrigation.
The only water channel that flows
through the urban sector crosses
through the central terrace.
In the
agricultural sector there are five
rooms that look like Chincheros and
Ollantaytambo storerooms.
THE CONTROL GATE
This is
made up of a
three-walled room with a
view with several
windows, which can be
found in front of the
main gateway. There is a
go panorama from here of
the agricultural and
urban sectors and the
surrounding landscape.
It is a good idea to
take photos from this
angle as it gives the
visitor a good view of
the complex.
THE UPPER CEMETERY AND
RITUAL STONES |
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In
every Inca city, the dead were
buried on the outskirts of the town,
which is where in this case Cusco
archaeologists found human remains.
In the upper part, they also found
sculpted stones that belong to the
area, which indicated the Incas used
the stones to make offerings to
their gods. On this same piece of
ground lies a granite boulder
sculpted with steps. But the most
striking feature is that it is
pierced with a ring, the purpose of
which is unknown. This ritual
boulder is very similar to that of
the ñusta-hispana in the Vilcabamba
I ruins. In the upper part one can
see a body-shaped spot as if people
had been placed on their backs.
THE
URBAN SECTOR
While the agricultural sector is cut
short by a dry ditch, one can see a
long stairway that leads to the
front gate.
This sector houses the most
important constructions of any Inca
city, where one can appreciate the
talent, effort and quality of the
pre-Hispanic builders, as the
constructions are entirely made of
granite, a very hard rock that is
different from that used in Cusco.
The city is U-shaped. In the
northern section there is the great
religious sector containing the
temples, to the South there are the
houses and workshops on platform
terraces that Bingham called the
Military Group. The main buildings
in the Urban Sector are the
following:
THE
TEMPLE OF THE SUN
This construction is shaped like a
semi-circle and built on solid rock,
an existing granite block shaped to
blend with the natural curves, with
a diameter of 10.50 meters. It is
composed of highly polished
polyhedrons. There are two
trapezoidal windows in this building
with protruding knobs at every
comer, and on the north side there
is a carefully-sculpted door with
bored holes in the doorjamb, very
similar to the Qoricancha temple in
Cusco. The Spanish historians relate
there were once gold and precious
jewels encrusted in the door. To the
West of the temple there is a
rectangular patio with nine
ceremonial doorways alternating with
prism-shaped studs. THE INTIWATANA
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This
stone is located on a
hill made up of several
terraces. The visitor
can gain access to the
stone via 78
well-crafted steps. At
the end of the staircase
one enters an open patio
with walls equally
well-sculpted, and where
one can see an upper
platform where there is
a granite rock sculpted
into three steps. In the
central part one can see
a rectangular prism that
is 36cm high and which
is pointing from
North-West to
South-East. |
Its four
corners are directed to
the four cardinal
points. The Intiwatana
had specific functions:
it measured time (the
solstice and the
equinox) by using
sunlight and shadow, and
also served as an altar.
In Quechua, "Inti" means
"sun" and "Wata" means
"year", thereby giving
us the meaning of a
solar year observatory. |
THE
GROUP OF THE SACRED ROCK
The sacred rock, located in a
four-sided spot flanked by two
three-sided rooms, features a
monolithic rock sculpture which is
3cm high and 7m wide at its base.
The pedestal, which is approximately
30cm high, resembles a feline. From
another angle, It looks like the
profile of a mountain near
Machupicchu. It is possible that
this cluster of constructions,
together with two "Wayranas", or
three-sided rooms, were used for
rituals.
THE
TEMPLE OF THREE WINDOWS
It
is located West of the main square,
has a large rectangular floor. Its
name comes from the fact its main
face has three windows and two blind
bays. Together with the main temple,
this is the most impressive
architecture in all of Machupicchu.
The enormous polyhedrons have been
carved and joined with millimetric
precision.
In
front of the Wayrana-style
construction, on the large doorjamb
next to the central column that
holds up the roof, there is a
sculpted lithograph with carefully
polished molds and flat parts.
MAIN
TEMPLE
The temple is located North of the
Sacred Square, very near the Temple
of Three Windows. It is built of
three walls and is 11m long and 8m
wide.
THE
DOORS
Doors are a common sight in
Machupicchu and especially in this
sector. They vary in texture, size
and architectural style that set
them apart from each other, although
all have the same trapezoid shape.
Some only have one doorjamb and
lintel, and some have two. Some
doors are simple and others have
different security mechanisms such
as stone rings, central trunks and
other mechanisms which served to tie
together beams to make the doors
more secure.
THE
FOUNTAINS
To
the South of the complex, between
the Temple of the Sun and the Royal
Palace, the area houses a series of
water fountains, the only sources of
the vital element for the residents
of Machupicchu. The first three
water fountains or "PaqchaS7 in
Quechua, have been extremely well
sculpted. The architectural
structures in this area are
basically sculpted rock to which are
added other decorations such as the
spillway and the side walls. This
beautiful finish is due to the
harmony existing between the Temple
of the Sun and the Royal Palace.
These fountains were fed by
underground water and carried via a
canal to be used for irrigation of
crops.
THE
TOMB
The enormous leaning block of stone
that holds up the Temple of the Sun
has a large crack in its bottom
part, which has been exceptionally
skillfully decorated and furnished
to be later used as a tomb.
It
was also a site of worship and
offerings to the mummified bodies of
the main authorities. In the doorway
it shows a carving portraying the
symbol of the goddess Mother Earth.
In its interior there are niches,
monolithic pillars and other
accessories used for religious means
and to attend the mummies.
THE
SQUARES
There are four main squares at
different levels, but share the
characteristic of being rectangular
in the classic Inca style,
interconnected by sunken stairways
in the parameters of the terraces.
The main square is the largest,
which just like the main squares in
all Inca cities, had religious and
social functions.
The fourth open area is a square
flanked by terraces with their
respective access ways, similar to
the 1,000 B.C. Chavin culture.
On
July 14, 1911, Hiram Bingham arrived
together with a team of Yale
University specialists in
topography, biographies, geology,
engineering and osteology, led by
local inhabitant Melchor Arteaga.
They asked him about the city, and
he told them it was located on top
of an old peak ("Machupicchu" in
Quechua).
Later, in 1914 Hiram Bingham
returned to Machupicchu with
economic and logistic backing from
Yale University and the U.S.
Geographic Society with the
specialists mentioned above, whose
report was published and made
available around the world with the
title "The Lost City of the Incas".
In
the original map, Bingham carved
Machupicchu into sectors according
to the four cardinal points. Some
names have remained the same, but 76
years after the discovery of
Machupicchu, scientific studies
carried out by archaeologists from
the archaeological foundation of the
National Cultural Institute as well
as delegations of foreign
scientists, have provided valuable
conclusions about the use and
functions of the buildings. These
were based on archaeological
excavations and the architectonic
relations between the buildings with
similar construction across the vast
Inca empire.
The periods of occupation have been
broken down into the following,
based on historical accounts,
construction style and ceramics:
1. Initial (up to
1,300 A.D.)
2. Classic (up to 1,400 A.D.)
3. Imperial (up to 1533 A.D.)
4. Contact or Transition (1533 to
1572)
DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE TO
MACHUPICCHU
There are 112krn of railway line
between the city of Cusco and the
station of Puente Ruinas or
Machupicchu. The trip starts in the
station of San Pedro in Cusco,
zig-zagging up the Picchu mountain
until it reaches the highest point,
a spot called "El Arco" (the arch),
in the northwest part of the city.
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The route then descends to the
villages of Poroy, Cachimayo and
lzcuchaca until it reaches the Anta
plains, an extensive cattle area. It
climbs down the gully of Pomatales
before descending to the Sacred
Valley of the Incas, arriving at the
station of Pachar. The route then
crosses the Urubamba River to the
right bank and arrives at the
station of Ollantaytambo. For those
who arrived here by the asphalt road
of the Sacred Valley, one can board
the train to continue to Machupicchu.
HOT
SPRINGS:
At
a distance of 800m East of the town
of
Aguas Calientes, there are
underground hot sulfur springs which
bubble up from the rocky ground at
varying temperatures.
The especially-built pools at this
resort are the basis of its use as
hot mineral baths. The average
temperature of the water runs from
38ºc to 46ºc. There are also
changing rooms, bathrooms and a
small snack bar.
RAIL
TRANSPORT
Tourist Train, It only operates in
the high season, leaving Cusco in
the morning, stopping at the most
important stations (Ollantaytambo,
Km.88 or Ooriwayrachina) until it
arrives at the station of Puente
Ruinas. The trip takes four hours
and returns in the evening.
Autovagon, This tourist service
leaves Cusco in the morning and
takes three hours. The trip from The
Sacred Valley of the Incas (Urubamba
to Ollantaytambo) takes 1,1/2 hours.
It returns in the evening.
It
is recommended to check all
timetables in train stations and
travel agencies, as they are
modified according to the season.
For more information
Click on the Links below>>>
Train to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu Tickets
MACHU
PICCHU RESTAURANTS
You can choose between many of the
restaurants in Machu Picchu that are
located in the same city of Machu
Picchu, and enjoy of a great food
and view. The dishes served are for
all kinds of tastes, from native
cuisine and international cuisine;
you can drink many beverages like
Inti sour, Pisco sour, and the
famous Coca sour...
More information >>>
ADVENTURE SPORTS IN MACHU PICCHU
If you want to spend sometime and
feel the adrenaline, you cant miss
the adventure sports in Machu
Picchu. When you’re on travel
vacation, you must check the
possibilities of making some other
things besides visiting the Machu
Picchu Sanctuary, there are also
many things that you got to put on
your adventure travel list...
More Information >>>
GASTRONOMY IN MACHU PICCHU
The gastronomy in Machu Picchu is
varied, due to his enormous
diversity in Perú, That's because
people like the Incas should be able
to harvest every kind of product
that taste and makes good for the
entire Empire...More
Information >>>
MACHU PICCHU MUSEUMS
Machu Picchu Museums:
The enormous artifacts that Hiram
Bingham took to his University is
one of the most beautiful
collections in the entire Country,
and since a few years it has his own
place, the Manuel Chávez Ballón Site
Museum of Machu Picchu...
More Information >>>
MUSIC AND MACHU PICCHU
Since the dawn of the
times, Humans have created many
sounds to imitate the wind blowing,
the water falls, and many other
sounds. The Incas had a penta phonic
structure, that made their music so
relaxing and elaborated, and now the
Music and
Machu Picchu is here
to take our breath away with these
magnificent master pieces.
MOVIES AND MACHU PICCHU
The dreams are like
our own version of a better and
fantastic world, and many of our
dreams sometimes come true when you
are watching a big screen and
realize how good life would be if it
was a movie. And that’s why, that
the
Movies and
Machu Picchu combined
two of the best thing in the world:
An art so refine and classic, and
one of the modern wonders of the
world.
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